Cranberry Sauce Cake

Great cake that makes use of any leftover cranberry sauce you might have after a Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups homemade cranberry sauce (or 1 14-ounce can)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3½ tablespoons juice and 3 tablespoons grated zest from 2 lemons
  • Salt
  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into chunks
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1⅛ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Set the rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch nonstick Bundt pan liberally with baking spray and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar, 1½ teaspoons lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt, and set aside. In a third (nonreactive) bowl, whisk ¾ cup buttermilk and 3 tablespoons lemon juice and set aside.
  3. With a hand-held or standing mixer at medium speed, beat the granulated sugar and lemon zest until moist and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the butter, and beat at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  6. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, beat well, and scrape again.
  7. Reduce mixer speed to low; add about one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until just incorporated after each addition, about 5 seconds.
  8. Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape again and add remaining flour mixture; increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.
  9. Scrape half the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
  10. Pour the cranberry mixture over the batter and with a dinner knife make shallow swirls.
  11. Add the remaining batter evenly, smooth the surface, and bake until the cake is deep golden brown, feels firm to the touch, and a long toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
  12. Place the cake on a wire rack and cool for about 15 minutes; turn the cake out, place it right side up onto the rack, and cool to room temperature.

Note: Original recipe called for a glaze to be drizzled on top, but the cake is sweet enough that it doesn’t need it. A light sprinkle of powdered sugar can pretty it up if you’d like.